Tray for holding multiple cartons



Oct. 17, 1967 w. H. BATES 3,347,447

TRAY FOR HOLDING MULTIPLE CARTONS Filed June 17, 1965 WARREN H. BA TES INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,347,447 TRAY FOR HOLDING MULTIPLE CARTONS Warren H. Bates, 7224 Burris, Fort Worth, Tex. Filed June 17, 1965, Ser. No. 464,720 3 Claims. (Cl. 22931) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rectangular tray of sheet material capable of being bent along score lines and cut in the usual manner. The length of the tray may be as long as the blank from which it is made, the side walls being determined by score lines along the sides of the blank and the end walls being determined by transverse cuts spaced from the ends of the blank. The transverse cuts extend into the side walls where they connect with other cuts and diagonal score lines which define wing areas for assembly. The areas of the blank outwardly of the transverse cuts are raised to provide the end walls.

This invention relates to a packaging tray having vertical walls therearound for receiving a multiple of rectangular cartons. Certain canned goods are packaged six cans to a carton for retail sale, and a single tray holding a given number of cartons is desirable for handling and displaying the goods. Such trays also provide stabilizing means when one tray of cartons is stacked on another.

An object of the invention is to provide a tray of fiberboard or the like made of a single rectangular or square blank wherein the formed tray, including side walls, may be as long as the length of the blank. Alternately, within the scope of the invention, the width of the tray may be as wide as the width of the blank. Either way, such construtcion provides a substantial saving of material in a tray of the described class. Because the construction is simple it is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble.

Another object is to provide a tray wherein multiple cartons received therein lend strength to the tray construction.

While the present tray is intended, primarily, for handling and display purposes, it is also useful in refrigerators because slots therein promote the circulation of cold air over the goods in the tray.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a tray in accordance with a preferred form of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of an end portion of the tray illustrated in FIGURE 1 and showing the same in a partially folded position.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the end of a modified form of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a corner portion of the tray illustrated in FIGURE 3 and showing the same in a partially folded position, and

FIGURE 5 is another perspective view of a corner portion of the modified form of the invention and showing the same just prior to securing the folded portions in place.

2 The first form of the invention, FIGURES 1 and 2, is

comprised of a single rectangular blank having a bottom panel 10, vertical side walls 11 and vertical end walls 12. As best shown in FIGURE 2, the side walls 11 are defined by score lines 13 parallel with the sides of the bottom panel 10 and extend the full length of the blank. The blank, not numbered, may be of fiberboard and it has been found that corrugated fiberboard is suitable for the present purpose.

Diagonal score lines 14 extend from the ends of the first described score lines 13 at 45 degrees to a distance approximately half-way between the upper and lower edges of side walls 11. At a distance equal to the height of the side walls 11 there are cuts 15 through the blank parallel with the ends thereof and which cuts extend into the side walls a distance equal to approximately one-third of the Width of the side walls as indicated at 16; thence the cuts extend at 45 degree angles, indicated at 17, to cuts 18 which connect with the inner ends of the diagonal score lines 14.

To assemble the tray, FIGURE 1, the end walls 12 are lifted upwardly from the cut lines 15 to vertical positions. This action is possible by reason of the hinge action at 14 of the side wall wing areas 19 adjacent the end walls 12. The wall areas 19 are then secured to the side walls 11 by suitable means, not shown, such as glue or stitching. An example of the assembled folded wall areas 19 is best shown in the far corner of FIGURE 1.

The modified form of the invention shown in FIGURES 3-5 is identical with the foregoing except reinforcing flaps 20 are provided along and extend inwardly of the lower edges of the end walls 12 and upwardly on the outer surfaces of the side walls 11 at the ends thereof. The blanks of this form of the invention are longer than the blanks of the first described form of the invention by a distance equal to twice the width of the flaps 20. Score lines 21 entirely across the blank provide means for folding the flaps under the blank and which score lines also define the bottom edges of the end walls 12 in assembly. As shown in FIGURE 5, glue 22 is provided for securing the flaps 20 to the outer surfaces of the side walls 11 and additional glue 22 is provided for securing the wing areas 19 to the side walls 11. Since all other parts of the modified form of the invention are identical with the one first described, they have the same reference numbers. As before, instead of glue for securing the side and end walls 11 and 12 in upright position, other suitable means may be employed, for example, stitching.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary constructions herein shown and described, but may be made in various ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tray made from a single rectangular blank of fiberboard or the like, said tray being comprised of first score lines extending the full length of said blank parallel with the sides thereof and defining the width of side walls, a transverse cut in said blank parallel with the ends there of and defining the'upperedges of end walls, said transverse cut extending into the defined side walls, diagonal score lines extending inwardly at 45 angles into the widths of said defined side walls from points on said first lines score, which points define the bottom edges of the referred to end walls, and cuts connecting the ends of the first said cuts with the ends of said diagonal score lines,

J the last said cuts, said diagonal score lines and the first said score lines defining wing areas whereby the latter are positioned adjacent inner surfaces of resulting said side walls for attachment of said wing areas thereto when the outer edges of said transverse cuts are raised relative to the plane of said blank, and means attaching said wing areas to said side walls.

2. The construction defined in claim 1, and wherein said points locating said diagonal score lines on said first score lines are located inwardly from the ends of said blank, and transverse score lines through said points and across said blank defining fiaps adapted to be folded under said blank with the result that the ends of said flaps are adjacent the outer surfaces of the resulting side walls and the ends of said flaps positioned to be secured thereto.

3. The construction defined in claim 1, and wherein said points locating said diagonal score lines on said first score lines are located at the ends of said blank.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/ 1934 Himes 229-31 3/ 1942 Levkoff. 2/ 1944 Levkoif 229-31 6/1944 Lupton 229-28 X 5/1945 De Villard 229-28 X 8/1946 Ringler 229-24 X 1/1951 Williamson 229-28 X 7/1951 Ringler 229-28 5/ 1961 Glaser 229-37 FOREIGN PATENTS 4/1953 Canada.

12/1954 Canada.

DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A TRAY MADE FROM A SINGLE RECTANGULAR BLANK OF FIBERBOARD OR THE LIKE, SAID TRAY BEING COMPRISED OF FIRST SCORE LINES EXTENDING THE FULL LENGTH OF SAID BLANK PARALLEL WITH THE SIDES THEREOF AND DEFINING THE WIDTH OF SIDE WALLS, A TRANSVERSE CUT IN SAID BLANK PARALLEL WITH THE ENDS THEREOF AND DEFINING THE UPPER EDGES OF END WALLS, SAID TRANSVERSE CUT EXTENDING INTO THE DEFINED SIDE WALLS, DIAGONAL SCORE LINES EXTENDING INWARDLY AT 45* ANGLES INTO THE WIDTHS OF SAID DEFINED SIDE WALLS FROM POINTS ON SAID FIRST LINES SCORE, WHICH POINTS DEFINE THE BOTTOMN EDGES OF THE REFERRED TO END WALLS, AND CUTS CONNECTING THE ENDS OF THE FIRST SAID CUTS WITH THE ENDS OF SAID DIAGONAL SCORES LINES, THE LAST SAID CUTS, SAID DIAGONAL SCORE LINES AND THE FIRST SAID SCORE LINES DEFINING WING AREAS WHEREBY THE LATTER ARE POSITIONED ADJACENT INNER SURFACES OF RESULTING SAID SIDE WALLS FOR ATTACHMENT OF SAID WING AREAS THERETO WHEN THE OUTER EDGES OF SAID TRANVERSE CUTS ARE RAISED RELATIVE TO THE PLANE OF SAID BLANK, AND MEANS ATTACHING SAID WING AREAS TO SAID SIDE WALLS. 